Neighbors urged: Respect privacy of COVID-19 patients

CEBU, Philippines —  While community vigilance is key during pandemic, Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak appealed to the public to respect the privacy of COVID-19 patients and to refrain from discriminating against them.

Tumulak made the remarks after his office has received complaints from patients who said they felt their privacy was violated as their neighbors took pictures or videos of them being extracted from their houses for isolation or hospitalization.

“Last year during pandemic, ang mga tawo manago og mag-extract og patient, but now lagi, ang mga tawo manggawas. Ang uban mag-video, mag-take og pictures sa mga extracting team and the patients,” he said.

Because of this, Tumulak met the city’s extraction team, along with city’s disaster office head Harold Alcontin and EOC deputy chief implementer Joel Garganera.

“Nag-meeting ko sa mga extracting team to inform neighbors sa patients to refrain from doing it or else they would face consequences. Labi na ang taking of pictures and videos,” he said.

Under the City Ordinance No. 2573, discrimination refers to any act or omission which unduly curtails or impairs a right, or excludes and withholds access to services, goods, benefits, or privileges, where the right or access to which is not otherwise withheld, prohibited or restricted by relevant protocols, guidelines, and rules issued by the State through its authorized agencies.

This includes such acts committed to manifest bigotry, unequal treatment, exclusion, restriction, humiliation and vilification, and actions that causes or tends to cause any stigma, disgrace, shame, humiliation, harassment, or discrimination against any person afflicted with or have recovered from any communicable disease, which has an effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the enjoyment and exercise of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.

According to the ordinance, the acts mentioned include those done online or through social media when the victim is residing and/or found in Cebu City at the time the act was committed.

Aside from confirmed patients, suspected and probable cases are also protected by this ordinance.

“It shall be unlawful for any person, natural or juridical, to discriminate against persons found afflicted with or are recovering or have recovered from COVID-19, as well as against persons considered as Suspect Case or Probable Case by curtailing or impairing their right, or preventing them from exercising a right, or withholding access to services, goods, benefits, or privileges, where their exercise of such right and access to goods, services, benefits, and privileges are not otherwise withheld, prohibited, or restricted by relevant protocols, guidelines, and rules issued by the State through the Department of Health, the IATF-EID, or authorized agencies of the government relative to the COVID-19 pandemic,” it states.

It is also deemed unlawful for any person to, whether verbally, in writing, or otherwise, humiliate, ridicule, insult, embarrass, harass, or perform any act which demeans the dignity and self-respect, including posting or sending of messages in social media applications or unauthorized disclosure of personal information or identity of a person with suspect, probable or confirmed case of COVID-19 by reason of their status as such.

The offenses are as follows: first offense, fine of P1,000, or imprisonment of one day to 30 days, or both;  second offense, fine of P3,000, or imprisonment of one day to 30 days, or both; and third offense, fine of P5,000, or imprisonment of one day to 30 days, or both, at the discretion of the court. — JMD (FREEMAN)